Re: Using standardized SI prefixes
Le mardi 12 juin 2007 à 09:24 +0100, Scott James Remnant a écrit :
> Changing the unit prefixes is just a geek "precision" gratification that
> will confuse everybody who is used to talking about "kilobytes", "and
> gigabytes"...
The confusion lies in the current situation. Bringing precision doesn't
bring any confusion.
> "My computer has two gigabytes of RAM!"
> "Aha! No it doesn't!"
> "It says two gigabytes."
> "No, you mean two gibibytes! A gigabyte is ten-to-the-nice
> bytes, whereas a gibibyte is two-to-the-thirty bytes!"
> *punch*
> "Ow! You broke my nose!"
We're not talking about spoken language here. Nobody cares about
gigabytes / gibibytes when discussing how much RAM / disk / horsepower a
computer has. We are talking of fixing computer programs with incorrect
or confusing display.
Of course, I don't usually care that file sizes in my browser window are
displayed in kibibytes and mebibytes. Not until I select some of them,
see the total size, and ask myself whether they fit on a DVD.
--
.''`.
: :' : We are debian.org. Lower your prices, surrender your code.
`. `' We will add your hardware and software distinctiveness to
`- our own. Resistance is futile.
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